EGO & LOVE

There’s my ego

which identifies itself in me

as ubiquitous fearfulness 

as if I’m under omnipresent threat, 

as belligerent resistance to rising

to meet someone’s simplest needs, 

as impatient intolerance of those not of my liking,

as condescending judgment,

as refusal to enter into another’s joy,

as lack of inner serenity and outer confidence, 

as baseless defensiveness, 

as denier of the obvious,

as compassion-numbing apathy, 

as personal aggrandizement,

as bald, even bawdy, superiority,

as self-paralyzing insecurity,

and so, self-perpetuating inadequacy,

and yet, self-justifying entitlement.

And that’s on a good day.

And then there is love.

Love gently escorts my ego to the door,

closes it, turns, then puts its arms around me,

and hugs me with the kind of deep hug

that completely disarms me,

that makes me go limp,

that makes me want to cry,

and then holds my silent sobs.

Love melts me,

molds me,

makes me.